Jaci Caldarella was born to be a dancing protege

Saturday

Her favorite show is “So you think you can dance” and at just 10 years old, Jaci Caldarella, has proven that she has already mastered the art of performing under the spotlight.

Her favorite show is “So you think you can dance” and at just 10 years old, Jaci Caldarella, has proven that she has already mastered the art of performing under the spotlight.

Selected to be a protégé with The Pulse on Tour from the Broadway Dance Center in New York City, she is learning the ropes from some of the most famous choreographers in the country.

The Pulse on Tour, which offers weekend dance events across the nation, came to Kansas City last winter where Jaci, a fourth grader at Blue Hills Elementary in the Fort Osage School District, won a scholarship to attend another convention in New York City this summer.

“The decision to take her to the event wasn’t easy to make,” Jaci’s mom Staci said, as the minimum age requirement is normally 11. “But she was adamant that she wanted to try, knowing that she probably wouldn’t be picked out of the hundreds that would be attending.”

After being awarded the scholarship to travel to New York City, Jaci again excelled and won the attention from famous choreographers such as Brian Friedman (choreographer for performers such as Britany Spears and Beyonce) and Mia Michaels (past judge and contemporary choreographer for “So You Think You Can Dance” TV Show).

“Two dancers were chosen from the intermediate class of 500 to be a protégé and travel across the nation with The Pulse,” Staci said. “Jaci was the youngest protégé to be chosen for this scholarship.”

The scholarship from The Pulse pays for Jaci to attend weekend dance events from November through March and she has already been to Orlando, Chicago and Las Vegas with another convention being held in St. Louis the first of December.

“We fly out Friday after school and get home late Sunday night,” Staci said. “Jaci always gets up for school without complaining and is having the time of her life.”

During the weekend dance event, as a protégé, Jaci works alongside choreographers as hundreds of dancers come to learn from the famous and experienced.

Smiling from ear to ear, Jaci says that her motivation comes from her dad, Josh, when he told her that even if she doesn’t always win, she should always keep trying because he thinks she’s an awesome dancer.

“I am learning so much from being a protégé. Not only different techniques in dancing but I also get to help with registering other dancers when they come to the event and help them learn the dance steps.”

Attending MelRoe’s School of Dance (relocating in Liberty in December) since she was 5, three nights a week for two-and-a-half hours, plus a 30-minute private lesson, Jaci has already learned to balance family, schoolwork and dance.

“When I have homework I work on it during breaks at dance,” she said. “I love to dance, but I love my family more, so they come first.”

With three brothers and a family schedule full of basketball, baseball, dance and church, the Caldarellas aren’t concerned that their children are on overload.

“At the end of the day, it’s always her decision,” Staci said. “And so far she was proven that she can handle it all with ease and with a passion to succeed.”

Jaci has already learned many different aspects of dance from ballet to tap, to hip-hop to lyrical and according to dance instructor and co-owner of Mel-Roe’s School of Dance Rosemary Glorioso, she is a natural.

“Jaci thrives and demands attention from the audience, “she said. “There’s so much more to dance than just learning the techniques. Once you have the confidence to be in the spotlight, you’ve already won half the battle of being an entertainer.”

Being a protégé for The Pulse, Jaci is getting the opportunity to capture an inside look at what life as a professional dancer would be like if she choose to follow this journey into adulthood.

“The Pulse was founded to offer this next generation of dancers an opportunity to grow in the experience of learning from experts and at this prime young age they get a start in realizing their dreams of being a dancer,” Lindzay Kile, Registration Director from The Pulse said. “One of the highest forms of scholarships offered by The Pulse is to be a Protégé and Jaci was deserving of this award.”

What does this protégé for a Broadway Dance Center do in her spare time?

“Usually I listen to music in my room and dance and dream of being on a big stage in a big city.”

Stay tuned, in years to come, as Jaci Caldarella proves to the world – that she was indeed – born to dance.

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